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As I made my way back from the principal’s office, my face must’ve looked so gloomy. The people I passed by were looking at me with a puzzled look, so I’m pretty sure about it. Now I somehow understand how the president feels.

「He caused this though.」

Why does he always bring along problems with him? Still, I’m surprised that guy managed to get steady with Shizuru. It’s likely thanks to Mr. Shizuo’s help though. I’m pretty curious on how much help he provided.

「I’m back~」
「Welcome back~ Woah, you look awful, did something happen?」
「Yes, a little. I’ll adjust soon enough, so no need to worry about it.」

Depressed or not, I have to switch gears and get to work. I know I’m just putting up a strong front, but it’s necessary right now. I really don’t want to ruin everyone’s mood just because of me.

「If you need advice, I’m free anytime. We’re friends, after all.」

I appreciate Miyako’s words, but no advice from her can help at this point. I need to overcome it all by myself, but thinking about it, it’s not that big of a deal.

「Hmnn, I’ll probably need advice from other people for this.」
「Uwah, I feel so betrayed. Then who would be those other people you’d rather ask for advice from?」
「The twelve families.」
「The scale’s too big, I have no words.」

The president and Aya would probably help me out for the fun of it, and Kotori would likely give an immediate okay. It should be fine as long as I stay away from Nagatsuki. He’s not going to go all the way to approach me anyway.

「Is it that big of a problem?」
「Not an immediate one, but thanks to that, I’m already feeling depressed.」

It’s a month away, so I’ll have to adjust my schedule around it. It’s not an event I can just cancel or be late for. Though it’s so formal, I really don’t want to attend.

「Have you consulted with your family about it?」
「Not yet.」
「Then if you ever need any advice, try talking with your family first.」

That’s right. This time, my family is going to be contacted about it too. Actually, I’m pretty sure the invitation letter will be sent to the Kisaragi household. If mother ever sees it without any inoculation, she might just faint.

「I’ll make sure to contact them. They’re sure to call me for it, after all.」
「It’s really getting big now.」

Her cheeks are twitching, but it really is big from me. It was a wild pitch from out of the blue. I have no idea how giving the principal love advice ended up leading to this.

「Here you go. For table three, please.」
「And now you’re working as if nothing happened. It’s impressive, in a way.」

I make sure to separate public and private affairs, you see. While I do mess up occasionally due to being preoccupied, I make sure to work as carefully as I can. I do, but it’s impossible to say with certainty.

「I really hope nothing happens before the party, though.」
「Party? That sounds like fun, in my opinion.」
「If you think it’s one where you can just have fun chats and delicious food, you’re greatly mistaken.」

Fun chats? Everyone’s trying to probe and one up each other, so it’s necessary to watch your words and actions. Delicious food? You think you’ll have the free time to eat? Telling her all this, Miyako showed an extremely uncomfortable look.

「It’s completely different from what I imagined.」
「That’s the reality of things. Reality is cruel.」

Just thinking about it is dispiriting. Back when Kotone attended, she was practically a problem generating machine, so there shouldn’t be many issues this time. If people don’t go picking a bone with me, that is. Sell me a fight and I’ll take it.

「I’ve come upon a way to relieve stress.」
「You have a really bad look right now, you’d be better off not doing it.」
「Right, I know. I know, but still…」

If I do that, I’ll be no better than Kotone, huh. Still, if someone starts a fight with me, it can be considered self-defence. Other people probably wouldn’t see it that way, though. I don’t think my reputation among high society has changed at all.

「Older sister~!」

Hearing a familiar voice, I turned around and saw Kotoha waving her hand at the classroom entrance. Come to think of it, I completely forgot but mother told me she’d be coming with the twins. I guess the principal’s words were just that shocking for me.

「Welcome. Would you like a table for four?」
「Yes, please. Still, it suits you surprisingly well. Doesn’t it? Nana.」
「Based strictly on appearance, she looks extremely competent.」

Nana says such rude things with surprising ease. What makes it worse is that she’s doing it unintentionally. Has she forgotten that this is exactly why Kotone picked on her?

「Miyako, can I leave things to you for a while?」
「Harumi’s going to return soon, so don’t worry about it.」

Since I got her permission, I quickly finished my remaining work. I can’t just throw everything and leave, after all. Besides, we’re allowed to have some time to chat with our families when they arrive. Though in my case, it’s not something as light as a chat.

「Perfect timing. Mother, there’s something I want to consult with you.」
「With me?」
「I’ve been invited to a party hosted by the Satsuki family.」

With my remaining work finished, I returned to my family to drop the bombshell and everyone was dumbfounded. Well of course they’d make a face like that. Even I still can’t believe it after all.

「Eh? Eh??」
「I understand the confusion, but please calm down.」

Mother was greatly confused, the twins didn’t quite understand it, while Nana was completely frozen. I’ve already resigned myself at this point, but I honestly don’t want to be there.

「But isn’t it an honour for big sister receive an invitation from the twelve families?」
「Isn’t it proof that sister’s reputation has improved?」
「Taking it positively, yes, it can be seen as such, but it’s different in this case. To begin with, I haven’t shown myself to high society events, so there’s no reason for improvement.」